KC bookstore's 50 years are built on events, relationships
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Rainy Day Books founder Vivien Jennings sits down with Axios. Photo: Travis Meier/Axios
After leasing a little shop in Fairway, Kansas, 50 years ago, Vivien Jennings revolutionized author events and established a tight-knit community.
Why it matters: As bookstores bounce back from decades of declining numbers, Rainy Day Books remains a steadfast local reading hub, with its hope for the future built on generations of service.
Flashback: It all started, Jennings tells Axios, when she decided to have Q&As with authors who weren't big on the limelight: "No zingers, no gotchas, just a conversation," she says.
- It worked: Audiences loved it, authors relaxed, and publicists noticed. Word spread, and Rainy Day thrived.
- Some events went all out — a poolside party with Ina Garten, a scary mansion for Anne Rice's "Servant of the Bones." Others featured presidents, actors and acclaimed novelists.
What they're saying: "Rainy Day Books is a brand that continues to enrich Kansas City," patron David Westbrook tells Axios. He calls it "a literary salon with all the authority of an academic institution," yet "extraordinarily approachable."
Zoom in: Jennings credits Kansas Citians who show up beyond ticketed events — donating time, money and kindness.
- "Authors are stunned," Jennings says. "They always tell us how impressed they are with the friendliness."
Zoom out: While indie bookstores across the country have been decimated by technology and the pandemic, thriving peers like Powell's City of Books in Portland and WORD in Brooklyn mirror Rainy Day Books' success through events and relationships.
Between the lines: AI-generated books may fool some online shoppers, but locals still trust human recommendations from Rainy Day's booksellers, who collectively read 1,000 titles a year.
- "We're serving the third generation of readers for some families," says store manager Annie Krieg, who grew up going to Rainy Day. "The echoes of that are just a lot bigger than a single experience."
What we're watching: Rainy Day investor Tyler Enders, who also co-founded Made in KC, says sales have increased 50% since his team acquired the bookstore in 2022, and they're exploring expanding physically.
What's next: Comedic actor and Shawnee Mission South grad Rob Riggle will discuss his new book, "Grit, Spit, and Never Quit," at a Rainy Day event Friday at Unity Temple on the Plaza. Tickets start at $37.